This is the U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/GB96/03143 filed Dec. 19, 1996.
This invention relates to a case for personal wear and associated devices.
An object of the invention is to provide cases/luggage and associated items in which items of clothing can be packaged in a folded condition in relatively small space, suited for example to baggage space requirements in an aeroplane cabin, without unduly creasing the clothing. The invention may also be used as a low cost packaging system for example in the packaging of new items of clothing for use in retail outlets or in the transportation of items of clothing for use by the xe2x80x98mail orderxe2x80x99 companies. Other possible uses of the present invention include a space-efficient means of storing clothing without it becoming unduly creased, so that the items of clothing may be unpacked with minimal creases, ready to wear.
According to a broad first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frame for folding clothing thereon, the frame having one or more members thereto, which members define curved transitions for smoothing folding therearound. The members extend across the frame substantially parallel to one another. Preferably the members have at least one separator there between that are arranged substantially perpendicularly to the members. Most preferably the frame is of a generally rectangular configuration comprising two opposing members that define the curved transitions for smooth folding of clothing therearound and two opposing separators that extend between and connect the members.
The curved members have, in general terms, sufficient radius of curvature to reduce the formation of creases in clothes folded around them. The optimal radius of curvature depends upon the nature of clothing in terms of weight, fabric etc but preferably the radius is within the range 0.5-3 cm.
Most preferably the separators are substantially rigid in order to keep the curved members at a substantially fixed distance apart. In certain circumstances, it may be desirable for the distance between the curved members to be adjustable. This is most conveniently provided by a frame having separators of adjustable length. The advantage of such a frame is that in use, on folding clothing around the frame and securing such clothing to the frame, the length of separators may then be increased so increasing the distance between the curved members which has the effect of tightening the clothing folded onto the frame thus reducing the formation of creases and reducing any preformed creases in the clothing.
The length of separators may be adjustable by means of a ratchet system and/or the separators may be telescopic rods which may be extended or retracted as required.
In such an adjustable frame it is preferable for at least one curved member to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis to facilitate the stretching of the clothing on the frame. But, in order to also facilitate initial folding of clothing over the rotatable curved member(s), most preferably the curved member(s) are rotatable on a friction bearing, so that more force than simply the weight of the clothing is required to rotate the curved member(s). It is also preferred to provide the curved members with a substantially non-slip outer surface.
Most conveniently, in use, the item(s) of clothing are releasably retained in position on the frame by at least one holding device. The holding device preferably comprises an enclosure for the frame, but may comprise instead, or in addition, securing means such as clips or the like for releasably attaching the clothing directly onto the frame. The enclosure most preferably comprises a cover composed of flexible material such as fabric which may be packed in luggage, or comprises a case, which is preferably dimensioned to fall within the size restrictions generally imposed by air-lines to enable the case to be used as air-line carry-on luggage.
Any suitable securing means may be used, but conveniently the clothing is releasably attachable directly to the frame by means of at least one clip or the like. Preferably the securing means is mountable onto the frame and conveniently the securing means are slidably mounted on the frame. It is particularly preferred for at least one curved member to have at least one clip associated therewith for this purpose. Most preferably, the clip(s) are slidably mounted onto at least one curved member for attaching to the ends of clothes folded onto the frame. The clips are particularly useful for securing trousers onto the frame.
For clothes having a neck aperture such as shirts, jackets, dresses etc the securing means may comprise a hanger of suitable dimensions to fit inside the neck of the clothing for supporting the clothing. The hanger is connectable to the frame by any suitable connecting means such as adjustable and/or elasticated cords, loops etc associated with the hanger.
The curved member may also have a sheet of flexible material attached thereto. In use, the item of clothing may be retained onto the frame by means of the clip(s) and/or the sheet of material may then be wrapped around the frame loaded with clothing. Preferably the material is wrapped tightly and secured in the wrapped configuration by means of releasable securing means such as hooks, press-studs, fasteners, VELCRO RTM or the like.
It will be appreciated that the sheet of material need not be attached to the frame, but may simply be provided as a separate enclosure for the frame.
In this manner the item of clothing is secured in place on the frame and held under tension which reduces any creases already in the clothing prior to its folding around the frame and reduces the formation of any further creases by the folding. A compact package is accordingly provided which is easy to store and/or transport, in any orientation but which avoids creasing of the clothing.
With regard to retention of the item(s) of clothing in the frame, in certain circumstances there is preferably provided a transverse bar extending across one end of the frame which is releasably connectable to the main frame. The bar conveniently comprises two substantially parallel elements hinged at one end and closable at the other between which elements clothing may be clamped in use.
Items of clothing such as jackets, dresses etc, which are wider than the width of the frame may be folded onto the frame of the present invention by folding the clothing so that it is of a width that fits onto the frame prior to folding the clothing around the frame. In order to reduce the formation of creases at those additional folds, particularly at the points where the clothing is folded over the curved members, most preferably at least one flexible cord is provided which in use is placed along those folds, The flexible cord(s) has a curved outer surface for smooth folding therearound. Preferably the flexible cord(s) has temporary attachment means secured at one or both ends thereof for releasably attaching the cord to the frame.
A frame of smaller dimensions may be provided for the folding of smaller items of clothing such as neck-ties, scarves or the like. As with the frame hereinbefore described, the ties/scarves etc would most preferably be held in position on the frame by securing means and/or an enclosure such as a box, pouch, case, wrap of flexible material etc.
It may be desirable to secure a series of frames together in a linear array for example for suspending a set of frames in a vertical array in a wardrobe as a space-saving measure. For this purpose, suitable means to enable the frames to be linked together are provided. Conveniently the curved members and/or separators have apertures therein or hooks, loops attached thereto through which a cord or the like may be threaded between adjacent frames to link them together.
Clothing is folded onto the frame of the present invention in the following manner. The item of clothing is folded over one member which defines a curved transition such that that member is located along that fold, subsequently the so folded clothing is folded anain over a second member such that that second member is located along that subsequent fold. The so folded clothing is then retained on the frame in the folded condition.
Where the item(s) of clothing to be folded onto the frame is of a size that extends beyond the width of the frame, the method of folding includes the additional steps of folding the clothing to a size within the width of the frame and locating a flexible cord along the or each additional fold, prior to folding the clothing onto the frame as described above.
Clothes that are folded on a frame, secured thereto and/or packaged within an enclosure, in accordance with the present invention advantageously are easily packed and they may be stored in relatively small spaces without unduly creasing the clothing and may be carried, stored etc in any orientation. Space-efficient packing and storing is becoming increasingly important in crowded travel and urban environments. A particular beneficial use of the present invention is as compact luggage, especially for airline carry-on luggage, where size restrictions are generally imposed. Further uses include efficient stacking of clothing on shelves or in drawers instead of by hanging in a wardrobe. Furthermore the present invention advantageously allows packaged clothing to be handled in a modular fashion.
The frame may be provided in various dimensions suitable for use in folding various types of clothing for example western-style clothing such as trousers, jackets, skirts, dresses, shirts, blouses and (middle) eastern style clothing such as Arabic dress, Japanese yukata etc. A smaller scale frame is particularly suitable for use for folding neck ties, scarves or the like.
It will be appreciated that more than one item of clothing may be folded onto a single frame.
The curved transition(s) may be of a smoothly curved nature or may be approximate to a smooth curve for example by being made up of multiple angled faces.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a case for storing an item of personal wear, said case comprising an elongate support, means for releasably retaining the item of personal wear on said support, at least one hinge construction extending across the support whereby the support can be folded on itself, together with the retained said item, about such hinge construction, such hinge construction being arranged to bend or pivot to define a curved transition between the adjacent parts of the support, and means for releasably retaining the support folded on itself as aforesaid.
With this arrangement, the folding support provides a convenient case for storing an item of personal wear, in folded condition, and the curved configuration of the (or each) hinge construction minimises or avoids creasing at the (or each) fold. It is therefore possible to fold an item of personal wear, into a relatively small package without this resulting in unsightly creases.
This invention may be used for storing any suitable item of personal wear. Moreover, it is to be understood that the case may be used for single items or multiple items, in the latter case the items being stored side-by-side and/or one on top of another.
With regard to the elongate support, this may take any suitable form and may be formed from any suitable material. Preferably it is of the nature of a sheet or strip and is formed from a suitable stiff or semi stiff material particularly a plastics material such as polypropylene although other materials such as card may also be used.
The hinge construction may be separate from the material of the support but attached thereto whereby the said parts of the support are formed separately and are linked by the hinge construction. Alternatively, the said parts of the support and the hinge construction may be formed integrally in one piece.
The curved configuration of the hinge construction may be of a smoothly curved nature or it may approximate to a smooth curve in that it is made up by multiple angled faces.
The hinge construction may be defined by a flexible strip which conveniently may be formed from a stiff or semi-stiff strip to which requisite flexibility is imparted by multiple side-by-side score lines or other lines of weakness, such arrangement facilitating bending in a curved (or approximate curved) manner.
There may be two or more hinge constructions dividing the support into three or more parts. In a particularly preferred embodiment there are two hinge constructions dividing the support into three substantially equal length parts, this being particularly convenient for folding a tie.
With regard to the retention of the item on the support, preferably there is provided a transverse bar across one end of the support whereby the item can be folded or looped around this bar. Conveniently, the bar may be fixed at the end of the support with a gap being provided in the support alongside the bar whereby the item can be passed through the gap and then around the bar.
Alternatively or additionally there may be provided one or more straps or other fixing devices for releasably attaching the item to the body of the support.
With regard to the retention of the support in folded condition, this may comprise linking structures releasably connectable between parts of the support using any suitable kind of attachment means such as VELCRO (RTM), zips, press studs.
Most preferably, one or more side flaps are provided which wrap around the folded support and releasably attach thereto to act as a cover as well as retaining the support in folded configuration.
Thus, there may be two flaps, one on each side edge of the support and which fold respectively onto the top and bottom sides of the folded support to provide opposite covers therefore. These flaps may have end tabs which fold over the respective ends of the folded support. Other constructions are also possible including for example an extended side flap which will wrap over both sides of the folded support.
Alternatively or additionally, the folded support may fit within a bag or sleeve.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a carrying case for a folded jacket comprising an elongate closable bag with a suspension support for the jacket at one end, and a folding frame having one or more hinges thereto which hinges define curved transitions for smooth folding therearound.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a jacket folding support comprising a suspension device, two retaining projections extendable alongside each other and connected to the suspension device for supporting the shoulders of the jacket with the jacket folded centrally to bring said shoulders next to each other, and a retaining device for retaining the jacket on the said projections.
This jacket folding support has many beneficial uses as it reduces the space normally occupied by a hanging jacket. A particularly advantageous application is the attachment of the support to the side of a chair for example in an aeroplane, conference room etc. The retaining device and retaining projections may be provided as separate devices that are connectable together. In this form, the jacket folding support has particular application in hotels, aeroplanes, ocean liners etc where the retaining device may be securely attached to a static object such as wardrobe, seat etc.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a trouser folding device comprising a suspension device and connected thereto a folding frame having one or more members thereon which define curved transitions for smooth folding therearound. Preferably this fits within a closable bag.
The folding frame of the trouser folding device may be incorporated as part of the folding frame of the carrying case according to the first aspect of the present invention to provide a carrying case for a folded jacket and trousers.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flexible sheet of material having temporary securing means integral therewith, the material being wrappable and closable around a frame for folding clothing thereon, the frame having one or more members thereto, which members define curved transitions for smoothing folding therearound.
A suitably shaped piece of material is preferably secured onto the upper and/or lower extensions of the vertical spacer bars/legs of a trouser folding frame, for example by the use of appropriately located eyelets in the material through which the extensions/legs may protrude. The material is then wrapped around the clothing and frame until the edges of the material meet where they may be secured together using VELCRO (RTM), a hook and eye system, press-studs or other temporary securing means, to provide a tightly wrapped, closed package.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamping device comprising openable jaw members having a fixed member there between against which each jaw member may clamp at least one item of clothing in use.
Most preferably two openable jaw members are provided which are biased in the closed position by a resilient tension member such as a spring clip as in conventional xe2x80x9cbutterflyxe2x80x9d clips. However, in contrast with known clips in the present invention a fixed member is provided that acts as a partition between the jaw members whereby items may be separately clamped on either side of the fixed member, between the fixed member and a jaw member.
According to a eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided a flexible cord for use in folding clothing having a curved outer surface for smooth folding therearound. Preferably the outer surface is composed of a flexible resilient material. Advantageously, the cord is flexible laterally but not under tension.
The cord preferably has temporary attachment means such as hook(s), clip(s), stud(s) etc. secured at one or both ends thereof.
The cord preferably comprises a central core composed of rope-like material surrounded by an outer substantially non-compressible sponge-like material. The cord may be provided in a variety of diameters according to its purpose. Most preferably the diameter is greater than approximately 1 cm. The cord may be composed of woven threads, rubber or plastics material.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided an item of luggage comprising one or more of the other aspects of the present invention to provide a means for packaging clothing in a minimal space whilst avoiding creasing of the clothing along its folds.
Conveniently the item of luggage is provided with a suspension attachment device fixed to a side wall thereof, to which the various folding devices of the present invention may be secured.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention there is provided a case for storing multiple shirts comprising two interconnected storage parts, each part adapted to store one or more folded shirts, each part incorporating transverse stiffening to resist crushing of the shirt, each part being at least partially open on one side, and the two parts being movable to a closed position at which the parts overlie each other to close the said open sides thereof.
Preferably the transverse stiffening is arranged to resist crushing of the shirt in both the vertical and horizontal axes.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention there is provided an item of luggage comprising in detachable combination some or all of the items of the above aspects of the present invention.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention there is provided an item of luggage, preferably although not necessarily according to the ninth aspect, incorporating a weight measuring device with an indicator thereto.